Sri Lanka’s President Seeks Reform Mandate From Local Elections

Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake swept to power last year with an unprecedented super-majority government. Now, he arguably faces an even more crucial election.

The island nation, which officially emerged from bankruptcy in 2024, votes on Tuesday for 339 municipal and rural council leaders — a test of the president’s popularity some eight months after his election win. The poll puts Sri Lanka’s entire grassroots administration up to a vote, and a victory for Dissanayake’s party would be critical in helping to fulfill his election pledge to root out corruption and improve standards of living.